The present invention relates to glove removal and/or retention.
There are many situations which call for the wearing of gloves to protect a person""s hands from coming into contact with hazardous substances. Health and safety requirements are becoming increasingly concerned with ensuring that operators put on and remove gloves without contacting the outer contaminated part of the gloves with their exposed skin. This can be quite difficult to achieve. Normally removal dictates several attempts at releasing each glove a little bit at a time by gripping one glove between the thumb and fingers of the other glove to hand to commence release, and then performing a similar operation on the other glove before the thumb and finger are completely released from the first glove. The process can be quite time consuming and the operator then has to store the gloves until required again. Putting on the gloves without contacting the external surface can also cause difficulties.
The present invention aims to solve the above mentioned problems.
Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention provides apparatus comprising housing means having an opening to receive, in use, a respective left and right gloved hand, the housing means providing means which is contactable with the exterior of each glove in a light gripping or frictional manner which offers a resistance to removal of the glove on withdrawal of a hand from the glove.
More preferably the housing provides abutment means for limiting the distance that the glove can be inserted into the housing. This is useful when it comes to putting on the gloves as described further hereinafter. Preferably the abutment means is positioned to contact the hand between the thumb and index finger.
Conveniently the housing comprises a form of cage or hoop provided with said respective openings or alternatively may comprise a respective housing for each opening. Where a respective housing is provided for each opening it is convenient to form the housing from a tube-like structure, preferably of solid wall configuration but optionally having an open mesh construction. More preferably each housing has an aperture in a wall thereof through which a thumb of the glove may project. Preferably the thumb glove will overly part of said wall when projecting through said aperture. Said aperture conveniently provides the aforesaid abutment to limit penetration of the glove in to the housing. The tube-like structure may be formed as a moulding in the shape of an oversize fingered glove or mitten. It is preferable if fingers are open at the ends to aid cleaning. The thumb is open to assist removal as described further hereinafter.
Depending on the material of the gloves, different materials will impart sufficient exterior grip on the gloves. For relatively loose fitting industrial rubber gloves we have found that a polypropylene material in the form of a plastic pipe works quite well. A 100 mm diameter pipe will accommodate a large range of hand sizes.
In use an operator pushes each of his gloved hands into the respective opening and inserts the thumbs in to the thumbholes. An informal wedging action occurs with the glove of the thumb gripping the aperture and the contact of other external parts of the glove assist in holding the glove in the housing so that the operator can then withdraw his hands. Often the friction generated between the glove and the housing is sufficient to hold the gloves and allow the hands to be pulled free. In certain circumstances where the gloves are a tight fit additional resistance may have to be applied to the gloves and this can be achieved by positioning the respective housings such that it is possible for the gloved thumb of one hand to contact the gloved thumb of the other hand. By this means an operator can hold the gloved thumb of one hand in contact with the exterior of the housing with the thumb of the other hand to aid release of each hand from the glove.
The gloves can be left in the housings ready to put on when the operator next needs them.
Putting on the gloves simply requires the operator to push his hands into the gloves. The movement of the gloves away from the operator is limited by the aforesaid aperture/abutment means. Thus the gloves can be put on without having to contact the exterior of the gloves.